Philosophy and Platonism in Fronto’s Correspondence

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the references and allusions to Plato in Fronto’s epistolary corpus, especially in his correspondence with Marcus Aurelius, to whom Fronto taught rhetoric. Attention will be paid to Fronto’s engagement with philosophy and his high esteem for Plato and (Middle) Platonism: Plato symbolizes the perfect synthesis between philosophy and rhetoric, which Fronto measures against the fallacy of Stoic dialectic, and Platonic elements play an important function in several letters.